New Winchester Covid hotspot still hot: Monday February 8

The Winchester West area, comprising Weeke and Fulflood, has reported 57 new cases in the seven days to Wednesday February 3, the most recent day for which the figures are available.

That is an increase on the previous week's seven-day number of 23 or a rise of 68 per cent on the week ending January 27. The rolling total per 100,000 people is 571, one of the highest in the country.

The cause of the sudden rise is unclear as across most of the Winchester district the numbers have been dropping steadily. Patient numbers in local hospitals are now are falling steadily.

In Oliver's Battery and Hursley, a hot spot last month and next to Winchester West, there have been fewer than three cases, making it white on the Government map.

Winchester West, in contrast with Oliver's Battery and Hursley

There are some exceptions, with small increases reported in the seven days to February 3 in Denmead and Southwick, Alresford, and Bishop's Waltham and Waltham Chase. The rises are so small that these may be temporary blips.

The current infection rates in Winchester West (571.9 per 100,000) and Whiteley Knowle and Wickham (239.2 per 100,000) are above the England average.

Overall, the rates in the Winchester district have been dropping so sharply that there are only 35 areas with a better record out of 315 areas, as of February 1.

The previous day the Winchester district rate rose slightly but has today been reported to have declined. Some 186 cases were reported, down eight, or 4 per cent, for a rolling rate of 149.0 per 100,000 people, the lowest this year. (See map below)

Winchester

The Winchester ‘district’ covers more than just the ‘city’ and includes a chunk of Hampshire from Micheldever to Denmead, and Crawley to Ropley.

Fifteen patients with coronavirus have died in hospitals across Hampshire, according to the latest NHS figures.

NHS England statistics published today again show that no deaths were recorded at University Hospital Southampton, bringing the total to 416 since the start of the pandemic.

A further 11 deaths were recorded at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, bringing the trust's total to 788. No deaths were recorded at Southern or Solent trusts.

Four deaths were recorded at the Hampshire Hospitals trust (HHFT) that runs the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, taking the number of deaths there to 396. There is no available breakdown on in which hospital the deaths occur.

The county’s hospital coronavirus death toll now stands at 1,660.

The HHFT says their figures only include those who have a positive test for Covid-19 and not other viruses. Patients with a positive test may also being treated for other ailments.

Today Hampshire Hospitals trust is caring for 151 Covid patients: 89 in Basingstoke, 62 at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and none in Andover. Last Monday the figures were 215, with 125 in Basingstoke, 89 at the RHCH and one in Andover. The Winchester fall is 30 per cent.

Only one person was reported to have died of Covid in Winchester district today. The number of deaths from the pandemic in the district is up one at 167, or 133.8 per 100,000.

Across the Hampshire County Council area 12 deaths were reported today, according to the Office for National Statistics. These are when deaths are reported not when they happened. It brings to 2,089 the death toll in the HCC area since last March, a rate of 151.1 per 100,000 people.

Across the county council area today 232 cases were reported bringing the total to 57,719, for a rate of 4,174 per 100,000. Some 2,611 have been reported in the seven days to February 3, down 722, or 22 per cent, for a rolling number of 188.9, just below the current average for England.

The number of cases reported in Winchester district in the last seven days to today, Monday February 8 remains lower than in the previous week. Today there were only 14 new cases, taking to 166 the number for the last seven days. The previous week had 185 cases. The daily figure of 11 is the lowest since December 11.

The number of cases in the Winchester district since the start of the pandemic is now 4,525, an infection rate of 3,624 per 100,000, well below the England average of 6,163.

Deaths reported in Southampton are now 284, up one, or 112.5 per 100,000. In Portsmouth the figure is 310, up two, for 144.2 per 100,000. The Winchester figure is 167, or 133.8 per 100,000.

Meanwhile, five local schools have reported Covid cases in the last 10 days. They are: All Saints in Highcliffe, Denmead, Osborne special, Otterbourne and St John's in Waltham Chase.